The upcoming holiday season is full of reasons for good cheer, but the added demands of the season can also stress the capacities of our bodies. Research shows that stress and unhealthy behaviors contribute to some of our country's biggest health problems such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes. This stress can also build up inside the body and manifest as back pain, neck pain or headaches...making matters even worse. Doctors of chiropractic are experts in spinal adjustment and other manual therapies that can relieve the aches and pains caused by holiday stress. They also provide nutrition counseling, exercise recommendations, ergonomic tips and other advice to promote good health year-round. The American Chiropractic Association (ACA), in an effort to promote health and wellness this holiday season, offers "12 Days of Health and Wellness," a campaign designed to give consumers tips on ways to manage the holidays more healthfully. Each day focuses on a different topic such as choosing nutritious foods, getting enough sleep, and stretching after tree-trimming or gift wrapping to help ease back pain. "The holidays are synonymous with frenzied activities, parties, shopping and stress, so it is imperative that people take steps to address these issues in healthier ways," said ACA President Rick McMichael, DC. "It's the perfect time to use ACA's tips to take control of your health and to discover chiropractic's natural approach to wellness. A doctor of chiropractic can customize a wellness program that's right for you."

Look for fact sheets, audio public service announcements and additional links to helpful information at www.acatoday.org/12days.

Results obtained from a recent study indicate chiropractic care may have a positive effect on the long-term sequelae of infantile colic. In the study, researchers evaluated the behavioral and sleep disturbances experienced by two groups of post-colicky toddlers - those who were previously treated with chiropractic care for their infantile colic (117 total) and those who had not received chiropractic as an infant while suffering from infantile colic (111 total). Those toddlers who were treated with chiropractic care for colic were twice as likely to not experience long-term sequelae of infant colic, such as temper tantrums and frequent nocturnal waking than those who were not treated with chiropractic care as colicky infants. In other words, parents of the infants treated with chiropractic care for excessive crying did not report as many difficult behavioral and sleep patterns of their toddlers.

If you've ever golfed, you'll likely know the importance of a full golf swing. What if something as safe, natural and beneficial as a chiropractic care could improve that golf swing? Well, it appears findings from a new study show just that. For a growing number of athletes, chiropractic care has been the tool they’ve used to increase their overall performance in their particular sport, including golfers. In this most recent study, 43 golfers were assigned to one of two groups - either a program of stretching or a program of stretching combined with chiropractic spinal manipulation. Average age, handicap and initial swing were comparable between the two groups and various golf maneuvers were evaluated pre and post treatment once per week for 4 weeks. No improvement of full-swing performance was observed with the stretch only group. However, researchers did find improvement in the stretching plus chiropractic spinal manipulation group. While the number of golfers evaluated was limited, the findings are exciting and indicate like so many athletes are claiming that chiropractic care allows them to achieve optimal performance in additional to optimal health.

Most tend to believe spinal related disease such as disc herniation and degenerative disc disease are diseases reserved for adults and the elderly. However, a new research study now finds these diseases are also present in young children, especially those with weight/obesity issues. "Back pain and degenerative disc disease are yet another problem associated with obesity in children, along with type 2 diabetes," Dr. Judah G. Burns, of The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore in New York City reported at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA 2009). "Disc herniation and spinal disease are generally thought of as a problem of older people, but we’re seeing it in obese youngsters, too. This is the first study to show an association between increased body mass index and disc abnormalities in children," Burns noted.

If you have a child, overweight or not, and he or she is suffering from back and/or neck discomfort, don’t assume it’s a minor sprain/strain. Contact our office today!